1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image content providing method of providing image content such as movie or animation to a viewer, an image content providing system, an image content providing apparatus, a program storage medium stored with a program providing image content, an advertisement image providing apparatus, a program storage medium stored with a program providing an advertisement image, an image content reproducing apparatus, a program storage medium stored with a program reproducing image content, an advertisement charge totalizing system, an advertisement charge totalizing method and a program storage medium stored with a program totalizing advertisement charge.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, according to advertisement in the Internet, the main current is constituted by advertisement referred to as so-to-speak banner advertisement pasting an image on a screen referred to as browser and sponsorship of Web site. Such an advertisement is carried out by displaying a stationary image or animation at a surrounding of a WEB screen. Further, there also is a case in which content of advertisement is dynamically changed by viewers or a number of times of displaying an advertisement image.
Meanwhile, in recent years, with high speed formation of a network for utilizing the Internet such as a telephone network or a cable television, there is distributed an image content comprising a dynamic image such as movies, animation or live relay. In this case, an image content circulated on the Internet constitutes a single closed content as a product. That is, for example, when an image content is utilized by a personal computer, the image content is formed as a single file. Further, when the file is reproduced by predetermined application, a viewer can see the image content.
As described above, conventionally, an advertisement method on the Internet is carried out by displaying a stationary image or an animation image by banner advertisement. Further, even when banner advertisement is pasted on a so-to-speak browser, there is a case in which a viewer does not view the banner advertisement and there poses a problem that sufficient advertisement effect is not achieved.
Further, in the case of an advertisement method such as banner advertisement, for example, only a stationary image or animation can be displayed and therefore, advertisement having high quality cannot be provided. Therefore, there poses a problem that high advertisement effect cannot be achieved such that a viewer views the advertisement and is attracted thereby.
Further, when an advertisement image is provided as single image content, the advertisement image forms a single file. Therefore, in order that a viewer browses the advertisement image, there must be carried out clearly indicating action such as clicking icon of the advertisement image and there poses a problem that there is a case in which the advertisement image is not browsed by a viewer.
Further, as described above, an image content is constituted in a closed state as a single file. Therefore, in order to insert an advertisement image in an image content, it is conceivable to previously form a single file coupled with an image content and an advertisement image.
However, the advertisement image coupled with the image content becomes obsolete with elapse of time and an advertisement effect of the advertisement image is deteriorated. Further, when an image content is reconstructed every time of updating an advertisement image, there poses a problem of taking time, labor and cost in forming the image content.